Rethinking Black History Month: Moving Beyond Western Benchmarks and Tokenized “Firsts”

By Ivan Kilgore

Every February, Black History Month is celebrated across the United States with tributes to African American pioneers who have “broken barriers” in politics, business, entertainment, and sports. Yet, while we commemorate these accomplishments, I can’t help but ask: Are we truly celebrating progress, or are we still measuring Black success by Western standards that were never meant to serve us? More importantly, why are we still marking “firsts” in a nation that claims to have moved beyond racial barriers? These questions deserve deeper reflection because, in many ways, Black History Month has become less about genuine empowerment and more about recognizing crumbs of access to a system still built on white supremacy.

The Problem with Western Benchmarks of Success

One of the biggest misconceptions we have as a people is that success is defined by the same metrics that have historically excluded us. The Western world measures success through material wealth, academic credentials, political influence, and social mobility. But are these measures truly reflective of our collective progress, or are they merely ways to force us into an oppressive framework?

For centuries, African civilizations thrived with communal success as a foundation—where wealth was not about individual accumulation but about the well-being of the collective. Yet, today, we are often told that a Black individual has “made it” when they have amassed financial wealth, gained access to elite universities, or attained political office within a government that has historically oppressed us. But what does that truly mean for Black liberation? When we measure Black success by the ability to assimilate into Western institutions, we inadvertently validate a system that was never designed for us. Instead of redefining success based on our historical values—where community upliftment, cultural preservation, and self-determination were prioritized—we continue chasing a dream that was never ours to begin with. This is not to say that education, wealth, and influence do not matter. But should these be our only benchmarks? Why should we see a Black billionaire as the epitome of success while entire Black communities remain disenfranchised? True success should not be about integrating into oppressive structures but about dismantling and rebuilding a system that serves us all.

The Endless Cycle of “Firsts” Exposes Persistent Barriers

Every year, we hear about another “first” in the Black community: the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice, the first Black governor of a certain state, the first Black CEO of a major Fortune 500 company. But why are we still celebrating “firsts” in 2025 and beyond? These milestones, instead of signifying progress, reveal how much work remains to be done.

For every “first” we celebrate, we must acknowledge the unspoken reality behind it: Black people have been systemically locked out of these spaces for so long that we are only now seeing access open—on a case-by-case basis. When Kamala Harris became the first Black and South Asian Vice President, it was historic, but it also underscored the fact that no Black woman had ever been allowed to reach that level of power before. Why did it take over 200 years for that to happen?

The very concept of “firsts” in the 21st century is a damning indictment of systemic exclusion. It reminds us that white gatekeepers still control access, deciding when and under what conditions a Black person is “allowed” to enter certain arenas. If we were truly equal, there would be no need to emphasize racial “firsts” because our presence would be normal rather than exceptional. Instead, we get symbolic victories that do little to dismantle the actual power structures keeping the majority of Black people from advancing.

Barriers Need to Be Broken, Not Idealized

It is crucial that we stop idealizing the barriers that have kept us out of powerful spaces. Breaking a barrier is one thing, but glorifying it as an extraordinary event only serves to reinforce the power of those who built the barrier in the first place. By fixating on these individual success stories, we risk tokenizing Black achievement rather than ensuring that opportunities are equitably distributed. When we applaud “first” we are inadvertently accepting the reality that it took centuries of exclusion for that moment to occur. This does not challenge the system; it merely rewards us for being patient with it.

White supremacy thrives on controlled access. It strategically allows a handful of Black people into elite spaces while ensuring the vast majority remain locked out. This way, the system can claim diversity without actually relinquishing power. Every time we celebrate a token Black success story, we must ask: What about the structural changes needed to make such achievement commonplace rather than historic?

The real goal should not be to celebrate every first; it should be to reach a point where we no longer have to. We should be striving for a world where Black success is not an anomaly but an expectation.

When Will We Stop Acknowledging “Firsts”?

At what point does America reach a stage where being the “first Black” anything is no longer a headline? If true racial equality existed, such
distinctions would not matter. No one makes a big deal about the first white person to hold a position because whiteness is assumed to be the default. Why then, in 2025 and beyond, are we still dealing with these firsts for Black people?

The fact that we are still tracking these milestones exposes a deeper truth: America is not as progressive as it claims to be. True equality means full representation in all spaces without barriers, not controlled access to a select few. It means Black children growing up knowing they can achieve anything—not because they are “breaking barriers,” but because those barriers no longer exist.

Until we reach that point, every “first”should not just be a celebration—it should be a reminder of how far we have yet to go.

Black History Month should not just be about honoring past struggles and achievements; it should be a time of radical re-evaluation. Are we defining success on our own terms, or are we still seeking validation from a system designed to oppress us? Are we celebrating genuine progress, or are we just highlighting token victories while ignoring the barriers still in place? The ultimate goal is not to keep celebrating “firsts” but to create a world where the concept of a racial “first” is obsolete. That will only happen when we move beyond Western benchmarks of success, stop idealizing barriers, and push for real systemic change. Until then, Black History Month must be a time not just for celebration but for radical reimagination of what true Black liberation looks like.